1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to methods for transmitting reserved mail and information terminal devices. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method for allowing reserved mail to be promptly edited when the reserved mail fails to be delivered and to an information terminal device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Information terminal devices adapted to transmit and receive messages and documents over communication networks have become widespread. There have been proposed various techniques to improve the usability for users to address the difficulty when mail transmitted from information terminal devices fails to be delivered for some reason.
In one technique, when mail fails to be delivered, an error message and the failed mail are presented to a user, and, in order to edit and re-transmit the failed mail, the user selects desired mail by comparing an ID included in the mail returned due to an address error with an ID of the transmitted mail, and edits the selected mail. This technique is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 5-316144.
Another technique, called a mail reservation feature, is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2000-333256. In this technique, mail created in an out-of-service area, such as a subway train, is automatically transmitted when the mail enters an in-service area.
In the information terminal devices of the related art, when mail fails to be delivered, a transmission error message and the failed mail are presented to the users. The users are therefore informed of non-delivery of the transmitted mail.
However, there is no disclosure of a technique for, in a case where some other application is active, promptly notifying the users of a transmission error while the application is still active. Thus, a problem occurs in that it is difficult for users to promptly take an appropriate action of modifying the mail text, re-entering an address, or the like when some other application is running.
Another problem is that since the transmission error message and the failed mail are presented to users, it is difficult for the users who are engaged in some other task in the foreground to continue the ongoing task, thereby interrupting it.